Link In Vaine I Trust
by Dispersion
Summary: Something has happened, now Link has the power of the wisdom and power to compliment his powers of courage. New love interests and terror invite themselves to any who are brave enough to read on.
1. Chapter 1

_Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, _

_But by those who fought, fell and rose again.  
_

...-()-..

Juniper berries, light breezes, and colorful fauna seem to paint the spring as a time of rebirth from the oppressive winter. However in the heart of the dark woods even the birds that so long chirped there songs in the high trees, now quieted. The wind ebbed and the moist soil dried, the little winding creek slowed to a crawl and then to a stop. Link's fishing line sat limp within the water, and although his eyes weren't open to view the land changing unseasonably, deep within his heart an ache began stirring. Small as it was - like a pebble to a beach; grimly it began to urge the young hero to awake.

His sapphire eyes opened toward the river looking toward the small wooden rod. A tainted silver bell perched to its hilt, waiting to spring into melodious action at the first sign of a fish's bite. Outstretching his arms above his head, Link breathed in and gave a great stretch against the thick tree's base. After a few grumbles, he stood and looked around towards the path leading to depths of the dark woods.

"Eeeeeeeh" Pain surged from his hand, a throbbing weakness that for a moment took all his strength to contain. Gazing down towards the origin of the sting, he looked closely at the back of his left hand. There searing him, was the crest of the triforce.

"Damn it… stop…" Link protested, hoping that the insignia would listen.

Blood began to fall from the deep cutout of the emblem. Link continued watching his hand, feeling the numbness take hold from the pain and gripped his wrist with the other. Lamely he trekked towards the small river and thrust his hand into the water of the stream.

The water wasn't helping and the pain showed little stop even in the cool environment. Not more than a minute had passed, with his hand submerged deep in the water that the water itself began to steam. Links eyes widened, curiously he peered down towards his hand under the steam and stream. It was then that Link saw something different imbued in his skin.

It was dark emerald green filling in a portion of the triforce. Zelda's piece of the triforce was feeding into him with a feeling of sadness, love, and confusion.

"What? What could this mean?" he whispered to himself quietly. Suddenly another burst of pain within his hand overtook him.

A ruby portion of the triforce violently began to fill into Links hand. Power surged through Link, dark hatred, revenge and rage. Link violently grabbed his hand and stared in horror at the two symbols now etched in him. It wasn't for long as his body felt to light to stand and fell. Crumpling to the ground under the pain, blood flowing from his hands, tears from his eyes, his heart and mind unable to accept what had happened.

The bells of his fishing rod left a sweet melody in the air, unfortunately he was passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

...-()-..

Inside a cozy tree home, high in the forest, a pervasive odor of pine sap melded wholly with the smell burning wood embers from the fireplace. Sitting inside this dwelling on opposite twig bound chairs, Saria and Liz both looked down upon Links body, fidgeting under the hearth light.

"Do you think he knows?" Liz said

"I think so, if not, I can't imagine what else could have caused him to do this." Saria said taking a cool wash cloth from a bucket of water sitting next to his bed.

"You mean what caused him to just collapse in the darkest woods of Hyrule or to go fishing there in the first place?"

Wringing the damp cloth Saria patted Links brow and nodded.

"I mean, what could have caused this to his left hand?", "I got it to stop bleeding but its still to hot to apply doku ferns into the wounds."

Liz stared at the doku leaf bandage on the floor; it had erupted in fire when they first applied it to the welt. The thought had occurred to them to simply rest his hand in the water bucket, but after his hand had entered the water, steam rose from the bucket like it had felt the touch searing iron.

"I thought you were the sage, Mistress" Liz teased "Don't they tell you in Sage training what it means when the triforce goes all screwy?"

Saria gave a smirk and knew Liz had a point. She was a Sage; she should have some clues to why this was happening. She should of known what the goddesses were plans before they occurred - not like some bystander.

If she hadn't heard Link screams through the forest, she wouldn't even of known were to find him. Only by luck did she find him asleep, quivering on the forest bed, with blood flowing from the mark in his hand.

"I was never taught to be a Sage, I simply am." Then looking down toward him she thought "In that way, I am like Link, simply a tool of the goddesses."

"But we do have some clues, don't we Mistress?"

"We know nothing, except what those fairies have been saying and you know they love to gossip. Good, bad, anything to keep things exciting around here." Saria paused

"We do know that Link has a pretty nasty scare though."

"He couldn't have got that by doing that to himself."

"No, this has a magically property. I mean look." Saria took the rag and dipped it into the bucket of water again, then dropped some of the water onto his left hand.

The sound of sizzling cracked the silence. "Now look closely at his hand"

Three Points of the triforce were on his hand etched in ebbed blood. One piece for courage, one piece for wisdom, and one piece for power but in the center of those three a missing piece. Then as the water dripped away, the blood started festering again, washing over the three pieces like the wave over a shell.

"What do you think it means?" Liz interrupted as Saria began to stand.

"I think it means that something is going or has gone wrong. I'm going back to the forest temple, to contact the others."

"But, mistress, it safer to travel together" Liz stammered

"You are to stay here, Liz, I am after all the Sage of these parts. Trouble will follow those who dare follow me."

Then she took her leave making her way down the wooden ladder to the forest floors. Liz could hear her last footfalls as she left the ladder. Shortly she began taking to the job of washing Links brow. Skillfully she applied the water to his face, pressing in dabbing motions.

"I wonder what dreams your facing today, hero."

Her eyes took in the sleeping youth. He was much larger than her, at least five eight with large shoulders, muscles, and legs. A stark contrast to her dainty five two, with a frame that seemed to match the twig bound chair in which she sat. She looked on, toward his dirty blond hair which only seemed tamed by the tattered green hat he wore, she reached for it.

As she removed it his cap, an eruption of blue and white came flying out of it. Liz gave off a scream and tumbled backwards from the chair. Falling stiff onto the rigid wood floor, she looked up dazed just in time to see a fairy flying down at her face.

"Aaaaaaaaaah" Liz said tossing her hands in front of her face

"Now, now, is that anyway to treat a hero's fairy?" Navi said laughing and hovering above the young girl.


	3. Chapter 3

...-()-..

_The dawn of the day_

_If not for you I would not stay_

_Staring at the early morning sun shine_

_My nightmares till tomorrow are made divine_

The floors, ceiling, walls were all made of a scarlet wood; pulsing with a life that was not of a normal structure. It breathed in, flexing the interior walls as in contracted and expanded out slowly as it breathed outward. The light was a dark shade of crimson in this room; it seemed ever present and heavy.

"Where am I?" Link said as he stood.

At first, Link could see nothing except the scarlet light. Straining his eyes, the room began to come into focus. No windows or doors, just a room that seemed to have no entry and no exit. No furniture and even worse than that it appeared that he was unarmed.

Unarmed and unprepared for anything that this "dungeon" could throw at him, Link decided to give a pace around his cell. Walking towards the nearest wall, he noticed instantly it was breathing. Staring, he watched for a moment as the wall nearest to him seemed to move inward and then outward.

"The walls look like there breathing but why would a wall need to breathe?"

The walls answered in its quiet breathing fashion by simply inhaling in and then releasing out again. Indeed, this was a mystery, not only towards the sentient nature of the wood but towards greater anonymities that seemed to exist in this place.

Link extended his hand and touched the walls, he was taken back, "Real," he thought "It's real bloodwood, and it's really breathing."

Many times as a child, Link had played and run through the trees. Even speaking with them on occasion, but this was only the second time he had ever felt timber like this. The first time, he had ventured inside the great doku tree. Where the walls didn't move like this, but the feeling of the great tree, it had the same warmth. The fact that this was bloodwood disturbed him even more than the feelings coming back from the death of the great tree.

Bloodwood was in simple terms an evil fiber, down to the core, so potent that one could never find more than a shard in a forest in Hyrule. It could have taken millennia for this much to be grown from a mere seedling.

"I must be inside of a tree, but who would have grown this and why am I imprisoned here?" Link said aloud

"You are here, hero, because you are to become my new apprentice."

Link turned quickly toward the origin of the voice. Across the small room a man no more than twenty three sat in a dark black chair. The man wore a simple garb, an aged coverall, ornamented at the shoulders by a mixture of colored symbols Link could not decipher.

Link remained quiet, studying the man.

"Now, now, Link no need for the silent treatment. I hope my home hasn't been too oppressive to you. Many people when they first see this room try anything to escape." He paused

"I was excited to see you take a different approach and meditate on the problem. But stillness alone will not aid you with the powers you have received."

"THE CREST" Link thought "How could I of forgotten what happened mere moments before I came here?"

Inside his mind, he heard a voice answer

"Because it's not every day you are in the presence of a god." Chuckling at himself from across the room, Link just seemed dumbfounded but still drew the question from his throat.

"You're Omron?" Link said and from across the room, the man nodded and chuckled.

"You're the god of evil!" Link said his heart racing in chest. "And…" Omron interrupted.

"You're Link: Hero of Time, Defender of Hyrule, Defeater of Ganon and Knight of the Hylians", "Yes, we know each other through titles. But do you really think it is all as simple as black and white? Do you really believe that I am here to destroy your soul?" He giggled at that.

"Nah, Link, I am here in promise with an ancient pact. One that was made before the creation of the races of the lands of Olmor, Legot, Farral, Calatia, Byrna, Somaria, and Moria were first created. The nations my brothers and sisters created for you to protect."

Link nodded and remained silent.

"Promises to raise you to the status foreseen eons ago, you my friend are to be the avatar of this world of Hyrule and whether or not you speak to me you will need the strength, the power to control this restless world." He paused a moment for Link to take in the information.

"I will only ask you once because it is entirely up to you to remember me or to forget me. Will you train yourself in the art and delicate harmony of power? Will you be my apprentice and accept all the pain it will take for the lessons?"

Link sat on the hard bloodwood ground for a moment. Grasping for any comprehension of what these lessons could possibly entail. But regardless he thought, "I have little choice, I must know why this is happening, and if a teacher, even the god of evil itself can help me save people, then I must have the courage."

Link accepted.

"Do not worry my student, your first task shall be easy enough, go to the forest temple and speak with the sage. I'm sure Saria would love to see you and besides" he chuckled "you should pay more attention to those who have power so that you will know what to do when it is you with the power."

Link turned his back to the god and looked at the breathing walls.

"Oh and Link…Be careful with the power that has been given to you. Do not allow your emotions or your silence to become to unsettled. You may find power is a harsh mistress and will not allow itself to be wielded by a clouded mind and soul."

Link nodded and took a step. The bloodwood accepted his presence and in a instant he was gone; flowing through the blood of the tree, he could feel its presence around him, carrying him towards his body.


	4. Chapter 4

Gerald

A light rain had begun to fall outside the cavern safety nestled on doom mountain. Most rain that fell here wasn't always so pleasant and Gerald didn't find this as much of a distraction as the bomb which had exploded his doorway only a few days prior. His ears were still ringing and the smell of ash still lingered in his nostrils but such was life.

Gerald had always found himself humbled by strangers that bombed his doom mountain home. Maybe it was there embarrassment to see him trapped or maybe it was his loud voice which shook the very gems from the intruders pockets. But neither the former nor the later made much of a difference

Gerald was a very bored old man.

Few knew of his life as a demi god and even fewer ever stuck around long enough to see if there unannounced presence offended more than the rock that trapped him. No adventurer ever thought to free him or even inquire about his bleak existence inside the rock. The rock itself reaching into itself and regenerating his prison seeming to mock its prisoner as he stood blankly unable to walk, speak or free himself.

It hadn't always been this way, but for Gerald his life hadn't always been so quiet and boring. It had in fact been quite the opposite. For Gerald was one of the guardians of the word. The word that had been spoken at the dawn of the current age. The word, which had been taken away by Ganon, and replaced by another. No one now, knew of which word Gerald had once protected. Except for him, and Gerald wasn't talking very much at all these days.

Then...

Lightning flashed,

Thunder crackled,

The darkness outside the cave was illuminated for a moment,

Rain

Rain, which reflected in the old mans cool hazel eyes

Rain which he now recalled, had fallen long ago like this.

The word he protected, he coveted, slipped from his lips involuntarily and as it did, his home shook.

The walls protecting him, the walls which had trapped him screamed.

He spoke the word again, its ancient strength had waned but its fire flamed from within him.

AGAIN

The walls in front of the old man crumbled and his old legs began to march forward.

AGAIN

The spell was broken, Gerald walked into the windy rain and flashing storm of this dark doom mountain night.

Gerald was free, a demi-god, a guardian of the old word, an old man... well a very old man, who had stood in that prison since the beginning of the current world. Who now stood in the falling rain and cracking thunder, who's thoughts now flowed to his capture. POWER, the wielder of the triforce of power had corrupted this world and Gerald was going to find him. Gerald slowly closed his eyes and for a moment the rain around him swirled. The ground pounded from the great thunder above him. Then it stopped. The world stopped.

No more door repairs. For Gerald walked through the suspended rain and looked up at a bolt of white

lightning suspended above his old home while a smile crept onto his face. He would find Ganon,

he would find the god of this world and he would bring the ancient word fo the old word to this one.

But first, Gerald was going to get a drink.


End file.
